Car body-bolster.



PATENTED MAR. 22, 1904.

m: nonms psrzns 120.. wuorouwon WASHINGTON, o. c.

G.- G. FLOYD & 0. H. HOWARD GAR BODY BOLSTER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

Patented March 22,1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE G. FLOYD AND CLARENCE H. HOWARD, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNORS TO AMERICAN STEEL-BODY DOUBLE-'BOLSTER CO., OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY CAR BODY.-

BOLSTER SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 755,289, dated March 22,1904

Application filed January 9, 1904.

T all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, GEORGE G. FLOYD and CLARENCE H. HOWARD, citizens of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a new and-useful Improvement in Car Body-Bolsters, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to a double body-bolster forrailroad-cars. V f

An ordinary double bodybolster usually comprises two parallel single bodybolsters having top and bottom plates or arch-bars, respectively, with their thimbles and connecting-bolts, a center-plate truss similar in construction to and connecting the two body-bolsters together and having the bodycenterbearing casting attached thereto, all the said parts being separate pieces fastened to each other and secured as a whole to the car-sills by bolts, whereby owing to the continual and variable strains to which the parts are relatively subjected by the working of the carbody their fastenings are liable to become loosened, which destroys the rigidity of the bolster and necessitates constant inspection and repair.

Our invention has for its object to simplify the construction of the body-bolster to prevent irregular strain of its parts and to 3 strengthen the car-body.

' The invention consists in substituting for the two separate top arch-bars of the ordinary double body-bolster a single integral plate, to which the two bottom arch-bars of the ordi- 3 5 nary double body-bolster and the top and bottom arch-bars of the center-plate truss are secured, as hereinafter particularly described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this 4 specification, whereon Figure 1 is a top plan of our improved double body-bolster; Fig. 2, a side view thereof as seen transversely to the car-bodyand showing the car-sills in transverse section; and

b, respectively. The cross-pieces 2 and 3 at Figs. 3 and 4E, cross-sections through the bol- Serial No. 188,394. (No model.)

ster, longitudinally to the-car, on lines 3 3 and 4 4:, respectively, in Fig. 1.

Like letters and numerals of reference denote like parts in allthe figures.

a represents .a suitably-shaped plate, which 5 is preferably made of cast steel, integral throughout and adapted to bear against the under sides of the car-sills b 7). The plate a; in the present case is preferably formed with two opposite and parallel side pieces 1,whichspan and bear against the entire series of cars ills 6 6 transversely thereto. The side pieces 1 are united to each other at each end by a cross-piece 2, which coincides with and bears longitudinally against the under side of the corresponding outer sill b and by two parallel intermediate cross-pieces 3, which coincide with and bear longitudinallyagainst the under sides of the two innermost or middle sills the corners where they unite with the side pieces 1 are strengthened by curved or other suitably-shaped gusset-fillings a, whereby the plate a is prevented from springing transversely under the strains of the car-body, to which it is secured by the usual bolts, (not shown,) which pass through the holes 5 therefor in the car-sills I) b and plate a in a similar manner to the ordinary bolster, or the plate a, may be otherwise shaped and the metal distributed therethrough, as found most suitable, for bracing the car-body thereat and obtaining 'a rigid foundation for the double body-bolster,which is attached to the plate a, aswe shall now proceed to describe.

To the plate (0, directly beneath and longitudinally with the side pieces 1, which take the place of the top arch-bars of the ordinary double body --bolster, are fixed the bottom arch-bars 6 of the two body-bolsters 0, respectively, the ends of each arch-bar 6 butting against lugs 7, which project from and are preferably integral with the plate a on its under face adjacent to the end cross-pieces 2. The bottom arch-bars 6 are held at the proper distance from the plate a by the usual thimbles 8 and are secured to the plate a by bolts 8' and by the bolts before mentioned, (not shown,) which pass through the holes 5 in the sills b I) and plate a; and through the thimbles 8 and arch-bars 6, as in the ordinary bolster.

The center-plate truss (Z, having the centerbearing casting (Z and otherwise of the usual construction, is located between the crosspieces 3 of the plate a and projects partly upward through the opening thereat into the space between the middle sills b, the end portions of its top and bottom arch-bars 9 and 10 bearing, respectively, against each other and against the under face of the plate a, (or side pieces 1,) to which and to the bottom arch-bars 6 of the body-bolsters 0 they are fixed by the bolts 11, which pass through the plate a, archbars 9 10, thimbles 12, and middle portions of the arch-bars 6, as shown, and in a similar manner to the connection of the center-plate truss with the ordinary double body-bolster having top arch-bars in lieu of the plate a. By this construction the bottom arch-bars 6 of the two body-bolsters c and the top and bottom archbars 9 and 10 of the center-plate truss d instead of being attached to two separate toparch-bars, as in the ordinary double bodybolster, are fixed to a single rigid plate having a solid foundation and extended bearing on a considerable area of the car-sills, so that the springing or torsional strain hitherto thrown by the working of the car-body on the two separated body-bolsters is taken by the plate a without affecting the other parts of the bolster, the rigidity of which is thereby maintained. Moreover, by making the plate a integral the car-body to which it is secured is strengthened.

The plate a is formed at each end on the under side of the cross-pieces 2, respectively, with preferably integral lugs 13, to which the ends of the truss-rods (not shown) are coupled.

(3 represents the side-bearing trusses, which versely to the car-sills and between the said lugs, a truss extending between and fixed at its ends to the said bars and corresponding side portions of the plate respectively, a centerbearing casting fixed to the truss, and means for securing the plate to the car-sills, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a car body-bolster of the class described, the combination of a plate consisting of two opposite side pieces and of cross-pieces uniting the side pieces, the said pieces being adapted to bear against the car-sills and having lateral gussets at their junction to each other, and each side. piece having two opposite lugs on its under face, all the said parts being integral throughout, an arch-bar dependent from and fixed to the plate at each side portion thereof transversely to the carsills and between the said lugs, a truss extending between and fixed at its ends to the said bars and corresponding side pieces of the plate respectively, a center-bearing casting fixed to the truss, and means for securing the plate to the car-sills, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE G. FLOYD. CLARENCE H. HOWARD. Witnesses:

EDWARD W. FARRELL, G.- L. BELFRY. 

